Methods and apparatus for passive attachment of components for integrated circuits

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus provide a sensor including a component coupled to the leadframe such that the component is an integrated part of the IC package.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/457,626 filed on Jul. 14, 2006, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Techniques for semiconductor packaging are well known in the art. Ingeneral, a die is cut from a wafer, processed, and attached to aleadframe. After assembly of the integrated circuit (IC) package, the ICpackage may then placed on a circuit board with other components,including passive components such as capacitors, resistors andinductors. Such passive components, which can be used in filtering thelike, can result in the addition of a circuit board near the sensor, oradditional real estate on a circuit board that may be present.

As is known in the art, integrated circuits (ICs) are typicallyovermolded with a plastic or other material to form a package. Such ICs,for example sensors, often require external components, such ascapacitors, to be coupled to the IC for proper operation. Magneticsensors, for example, can require decoupling capacitors to reduce noiseand enhance EMC (electromagnetic compatibility). However, externalcomponents require real estate on a printed circuit board (PCB) andadditional processing steps.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,388 to Chew et al. discloses a technique in which aleadframe includes a flag portion and a lead portion with a wire bondsconnecting a die to the leadframe. Inner ends of the lead portions areetched to provide a locking structure for epoxy compound. The assemblyis then encapsulated in an epoxy plastic compound.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,199 to Yasunaga et al. discloses a lead frame withleads having a recess to receive a wire that can be contained in resinfor electrical connection to a semiconductor chip.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,609 to Minamio et al. discloses a leadframe havingleads with land electrodes. A land lead has a half-cut portion and aland portion, which is inclined so that in a resin molding process theland electrode adheres to a seal sheet for preventing resin fromreaching the land electrode.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,836 to Liu et al, discloses a packaging structureincluding a leadframe having leads and a die pad to which a chip can bebonded. A passive device is mounted between the contact pads. Bondingwires connect the chip, passive device, and leads, all of which areencapsulated.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0035448 of Hsu et al.discloses a chip package structure including a carrier, a die, a passivecomponent, and conducting wires. Electrodes of the passive component arecoupled to power and ground via respective conducting wires.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The exemplary embodiments contained herein will be more fully understoodfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a sensor having an integratedcapacitor in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a top view of a capacitor and leadframe;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the capacitor and leadframe of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a top view of a capacitor secured to a leadframe byconductive epoxy;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a top view of a sensor having integrated capacitors inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the sensor of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a top view of the capacitors of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is a side view of the capacitors of FIG. 4C;

FIG. 4E is a top view of a sensor having integrated capacitors inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4F is a side view of the sensor of FIG. 4E;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing an exemplary sequence of steps tofabricate the sensor of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a flow diagram showing an alternative sequence of steps tofabricate a sensor in accordance with exemplary embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 5B is a flow diagram showing a further sequence of steps tofabricate a sensor in accordance with exemplary embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 6A is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe inaccordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a flow diagram showing an exemplary sequence of steps tofabricate the assembly of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 8 along linesA-A;

FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 8 along linesB-B;

FIG. 9A is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 9A along linesA-A;

FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 9A along linesB-B;

FIG. 9D is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe;

FIG. 9E is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 9D along linesA-A;

FIG. 9F is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 9D along linesB-B;

FIG. 9G is a pictorial representation of the assembly of FIG. 9D;

FIG. 10A is a top view of a capacitor coupled to a leadframe;

FIG. 10B is a cross sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 10 alonglines A-A;

FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 10 alonglines B-B;

FIG. 10D is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 10 alonglines C-C;

FIG. 11A is a front view of a sensor having an integrated capacitor;

FIG. 11B is a side view of the sensor of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a front view of a prior art sensor;

FIG. 12B is a side view of the prior art sensor of FIG. 12A; and

FIG. 12C is a pictorial representation of the prior art sensor of FIG.12A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an integrated circuit (IC) package 100 having integratedcapacitors 102 a,b in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of theinvention. In the illustrated embodiment, the IC package 100 includes adie 104 having a magnetic sensor to detect a magnetic field, or changein magnetic field, which may change with the movement of an object ofinterest. The die 104 and capacitor(s) 102 can be positioned on aleadframe 106 having a series of lead fingers 108.

By integrating one or more capacitors 102 in accordance with exemplaryembodiments described more fully below, the vertical direction of thepackage, or the magnetic field, is either minimally or not impacted,e.g., increased, as compared with known sensor packages. As will beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, it is desirable forsensor ICs to minimize a distance between the sensor package and theobject of interest.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a capacitor 200 placed on tape 202, such as KAPTONtape, in a region 204 defined by a leadframe 206. More particularly, theleadframe is formed, cut, or otherwise manipulated to form the region204 for the capacitor 200. The capacitor 200 is below a surface 208 ofthe leadframe 206 so that a vertical dimension of the package is reducedwhen compared to the capacitor on the leadframe.

The capacitor 200 is electrically coupled to the leadframe 206 using anysuitable technique, such as wire-bonding, solder, conductive epoxy, etc.In certain embodiments, wire-bonding and/or conductive epoxy may bepreferred as solder may potentially crack at the interface with thecapacitor or leadframe due to thermal expansion caused by coefficient ofthermal expansion (CTE) mismatches over temperature cycles.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show another embodiment of a sensor having a capacitor300 located below a surface 302 of a leadframe 304. In the illustratedembodiment, a bottom 306 of the capacitor is below a bottom surface 308of the leadframe 304. Conductive epoxy 310 is used to electricallyconnect and secure the capacitor 300 to the leadframe 304. With thisarrangement, more of a body of the package for the sensor can be used inthe vertical direction for package thickness. This direction is asignificant factor in the operation of magnetic sensors as will bereadily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.

In an exemplary embodiment, a capacitor 300 is placed below a leadframe302 and electrically connected to the leadframe and secured in positionby the conductive epoxy 310. In one embodiment, the capacitor 300 isgenerally centered on a longitudinal center 312 of the leadframe 302.That is, an equal portion of the capacitor is above the top surface 314and below the bottom surface 316 of the leadframe. However, in otherembodiments, the capacitor 300 can be positioned differently withrespect to the leadframe 302.

In an exemplary embodiment, an assembly fixture 350 (FIG. 3B) toposition the capacitor 300 in relation to the leadframe 302 includes atray 352 to provide a depression to secure the capacitor 300 in positionduring the assembly process. A die, for example silicon, would also bepresent on another portion of the leadframe, but is not shown forclarity. The tray 352 can be positioned to place the capacitor in adesired position with respect to the leadframe 302 while the conductiveepoxy 310 is applied and cured. After the epoxy, or other connectingmeans, has cured, or set the tray may be removed and a mold compound,for example, can be over molded about the assembly to form an ICpackage.

In another embodiment, solder is used to electrically connect and securethe capacitor to the leadframe. It is understood that other suitablematerials can be used that can withstand mechanical forces presentduring the plastic package injection molding process.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a further embodiment of an IC package 400 havingfirst and second integrated capacitors 402 a,b and illustrativedimensions in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention.A die 404 is connected to a leadframe 406 having a cutout region 408 inwhich the capacitors 402 can be positioned below a surface 410 of theleadframe 406. A plastic or other material can be used as molding 412 toencapsulate the assembly.

As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, in the illustrated embodiment, thecapacitors 402 are mounted on tape 414, such as polyimide tape (KAPTONis one trade name for polyimide tape) with conductive foil. A tapeautomated bonding process (TAB) with a continuous reel can be used forthe capacitors 402. With this arrangement, the assembly will remainintact during the molding process. With the capacitors 402 placed belowthe leadframe surface 410, the required thickness of the package isreduced as compared with a package having a capacitor mounted on theleadframe.

In the illustrative package of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the IC package 400having integrated capacitors 402 a,b is a Hall effect sensor. As is wellknown in the art, the sensor 400 is useful to detect movement of anobject of interest by monitoring changes in a magnetic field.

The exemplary sensor package 400 has dimensions of about 0.24 inch long,about 0.184 inch wide, and about 0.76 inch deep, i.e., thickness. Theleadframe 406 is about 0.01 inch in thickness with the cutout regionabout 0.04 inch to enable placement of the capacitors 402 below theleadframe surface.

The capacitive impedance provided by the capacitors can vary. Ingeneral, the capacitance can range from about 500 pF to about 200 nF.

FIGS. 4E-F show another sensor package embodiment 450 includingintegrated capacitors 402 a, 402 b having a leadframe 452 with a firstslot 454 to reduce eddy currents in accordance with exemplaryembodiments of the invention. In other embodiments, further slots 456,458 can be provided in the leadframe. The sensor 450 has somecommonality with the sensor 400 of FIG. 4A, where like reference numbersindicate like elements.

As is well known in the art, in the presence of an AC magnetic field(e.g., a magnetic field surrounding a current carrying conductor), ACeddy currents can be induced in the conductive leadframe 452. Eddycurrents form into closed loops that tend to result in a smallermagnetic field so that a Hall effect element experiences a smallermagnetic field than it would otherwise experience, resulting in a lesssensitivity. Furthermore, if the magnetic field associated with the eddycurrent is not uniform or symmetrical about the Hall effect element, theHall effect element might also generate an undesirable offset voltage.

The slot(s) 454 tends to reduce a size (e.g., a diameter or path length)of the closed loops in which the eddy currents travel in the leadframe452. It will be understood that the reduced size of the closed loops inwhich the eddy currents travel results in smaller eddy currents for asmaller local affect on the AC magnetic field that induced the eddycurrent. Therefore, the sensitivity of a current sensor having a Halleffect 460 element is less affected by eddy currents due to the slot(s)454.

Instead of an eddy current rotating about the Hall effect element 460,the slot 454 results in eddy currents to each side of the Hall element.While the magnetic fields resulting from the eddy currents are additive,the overall magnitude field strength, compared to a single eddy currentwith no slot, is lower due to the increased proximity of the eddycurrents.

It is understood that any number of slots can be formed in a widevariety of configurations to meet the needs of a particular application.In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4E, first, second and third slots454, 456, 458 are formed in the leadframe 452 in relation to a Halleffect element 460 centrally located in the die. The slots reduce theeddy current flows and enhance the overall performance of the sensor.

It is understood that the term slot should be broadly construed to covergenerally interruptions in the conductivity of the leadframe. Forexample, slots can includes a few relatively large holes as well assmaller holes in a relatively high density. In addition, the term slotis not intended to refer to any particular geometry. For example, slotincludes a wide variety of regular and irregular shapes, such as tapers,ovals, etc. Further, it is understood that the direction of the slot(s)can vary. Also, it will be apparent that it may be desirable to positionthe slot(s) based upon the type of sensor.

The slotted leadframe 452 can be formed from a metal layer of suitableconductive materials including, for example, aluminum, copper, gold,titanium, tungsten, chromium, and/or nickel.

FIG. 5 shows a process 500 having an exemplary sequence of steps toprovide a sensor having one or more integrated capacitors. In step 502,conductive epoxy is applied to a desired location and in step 504 a dieis attached to a leadframe. In step 506, a capacitor is attached to theleadframe by the conductive epoxy. The assembly is cured in step 508followed by wirebonding lead fingers to the die in step 510. Theassembly is then overmolded with a plastic material, for example, instep 512 followed by finishing steps 514, 516 of deflash/plating andtrimming/singulation.

Alternatively a flip-chip attachment could be used in which solder ballsand/or bumps are applied to the die, which is then attached to theleadframe. A capacitor is attached to the leadframe followed byovermolding of the assembly after solder reflow.

FIG. 5A shows an alternative embodiment 550 of the process 500 of FIG. 5in which solder is used instead of conductive epoxy, wherein likereference numbers indicate like elements. In step 552, solder is printedor otherwise dispensed in desired locations for attachment of capacitorsin step 554. In step 556, the die is attached to the leadframe followedby curing etc in a manner similar to that of FIG. 5. FIG. 5B shows afurther alternative embodiment 560 that may reduce cracking duringwirebonding. In step 562, epoxy is dispensed and in step 564 the die isattached. The epoxy is then cured in step 566 followed by wirebonding instep 568. Then the capacitor is attached in step 572 and the assembly iscured in step 574 followed by molding, deflash/plating andtrimming/singulation in respective steps 512, 514, 516.

It is understood that the illustrative process embodiments areexemplary. In addition, all steps may not be shown, for example,typically after molding the package the leads are plated, trimmed andthen formed. It would also be possible to attach the capacitor with onetype of solder and then the die can be flip chip attached to theleadframe with a second type of solder. Further, the process steps maybe reversed depending on which solder has the higher reflow temperature.The higher temperature solder should be used first. The case of flipchip attach of the die and then the capacitors with an epoxy would alsobe possible.

It is understood that a variety of attachment mechanisms can be used tosecure and/or electrically connect the capacitor and leadframe.Exemplary mechanisms include tape and conductive epoxy, solder, tape andwire bonds, TAB (tape automated bonding), and non-conductive epoxy andwire bonding.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a semiconductor package structure 600 including aleadframe 602 to which a die 604 and components 606 a, b, c areattached. In general, components, such as capacitors and passivedevices, can be coupled to the leadframe and fingers. This arrangementenhances the life cycle of components, such as passive components,improves noise reduction capability, and creates more space on printedcircuit boards.

A series of unattached lead fingers 608 a, b, c are positioned in aspaced relationship to the leadframe 602 to enable finger-leadframeconnection via respective components 606 a, b, c in the illustratedembodiment. The die 604 is positioned on a top surface 602 a of theleadframe 602 and one or more of the components 606 are attached to abottom surface 602 b of the leadframe. The components 606 can also becoupled to a lead finger to electrically connect the lead finger 608 tothe leadframe 602. Wire bonds 610, for example, can be used to makeelectrical connections between the die 604 and the leadframe.

With this arrangement, passive component integration can be achieved ona leadframe pad using one or more matured surface mount technology (SMT)process, such as screen printing, dispensing, surface mount deviceattachment, etc.

The leadframe 602 and/or lead fingers 608 can be fabricated by etching,stamping, grinding and/or the like. The passive component 606 attachmentcan be performed before singulation and package body molding so that thesingulation process will not adversely affect the quality of theinternal components. As is known in the art, and disclosed for examplein U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,247 to Drussel, et al., singulation refers to theseparation of printed circuit boards from the interconnected PCB's inthe panel of substrate material.

FIG. 6C shows an exemplary sequence of steps 650 for fabricating theassembly of FIGS. 6A and 6B. In step 652, the die is attached to theleadframe followed by curing in step 654. After curing, wirebonds areattached in step 656 and the assembly is then molded in step 658 anddeflashed/plated in step 660. In step 662, solder is printed orotherwise dispensed followed by attachment of the capacitor(s), solderreflow, and washing in step 664. In step 666, trimming and singulationis performed. In the illustrated embodiment, the copper of leadframe isexposed for attachment of the capacitor to the package after the moldingis completed.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an assembly 700 having an embedded capacitor 702provided using an integration approach. A die 704 is positioned on a topsurface 706 a of a leadframe 706 with lead fingers 708 a, b, cpositioned with respect to the leadframe.

The capacitor 702, or other component, has a first end 702 a placed on afirst bonding pad 710 on the leadframe and a second end 702 b placed ona second bonding pad 712 on the first lead finger 708 a. The leadframehas a downset area 714 having a surface that is below a top surface 706a of the leadframe to receive the capacitor 702. Similarly, the firstlead finger 708 a has a downset area 716 below a top surface 718 of thelead finger to receive the capacitor second end 702 b.

With this arrangement, the top surface 720 of the capacitor is loweredwith respect to the top surface 706 a of the leadframe due to thedownset areas 714, 716 of the leadframe and the first lead finger.

An exemplary impedance range for the capacitors is from about 500 pF toabout 100 nF. It is understood that a variety of capacitor types andattachment technology techniques can be used to provide sensors havingintegrated capacitors. In one particular embodiment, surface mountcapacitors are used having exemplary dimensions of 1.6 mm long by 0.85mm wide by 0.86 mm thick.

FIGS. 8A-C show another embodiment 700′ having some commonality with theassembly of FIGS. 2A and 2B. The downset areas 714′, 716′ are formed assquared grooves in the respective leadframe 706′ and first lead finger708 a.

An integrated circuit having an integrated capacitor is useful forapplications requiring noise filtering at its input or output, such aswith a bypass capacitor. For example, positions sensors, such as Halleffect devices, often use bypass capacitors in automotive applications.

FIGS. 9A-C show a further embodiment 800 of an assembly having first andsecond integrated components 802, 804. A die 805 is positioned on aleadframe 806 having first and second 808 a, b lead fingers extendingfrom the lead frame. Further lead fingers 810 a-e, which are separatefrom the leadframe 806, are in spaced relation to the leadframe. Thefirst intact lead finger 808 a has first and second downset areas 812 a,b on outer areas of the lead finger to receive ends of the first andsecond components 802, 804. First and second detached lead fingers 810a, b have respective downset areas 814, 816 to receive the other ends ofthe first and second components 802, 804. The components 802, 804provide the desired electrical connection as shown. Wire bonds 818 canprovide electrical connections between the lead fingers and the die 805.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lead fingers 808 a, 810 a,b arecoined to provide the downset areas 812, 814, 816. By placing thecomponents, e.g., capacitors, inductors, resistors, etc., in the coineddownset areas, the thickness of the overall package is reduced.

Such an arrangement provides advantages for a magnetic field sensorsince the package thickness may be reduced. That is, an inventive sensorhaving an integrated component can have the same thickness as acomparable conventional sensor without an integrated component. It isreadily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the magneticgap is a parameter of interest for magnetic sensors and the ability toreduce a package thickness may provide enhanced magnetic sensor designs.

FIGS. 9D-G show another embodiment 800′ of an assembly having first andsecond components 802, 804, integrated in package, such as a magneticsensor. The embodiment 800′ has some similarity with the embodiment 800of FIGS. 9A-C, where like reference numbers indicate like elements. Thecomponents 802, 804 are secured to the leadframe 806′ without downsetareas. The components 802, 804 are located on an opposite side of thedie 805 as wirebonds 818 used to connect various die locations to theleadfingers. The components 802, 804 are on the opposite side of the dieas the leads 820 that extend from the package. In the illustratedembodiment, the tie bars proximate the components 802, 804 are cut ortrimmed from the final package. By placing the components 802, 804 on anopposite side of the die 805 as external leads 820, a more compactpackage is provided.

FIGS. 10A-D show another embodiment 900 having some similarity with theassembly of FIGS. 9D-F. The components are placed on an opposite side ofthe leadframe 806′ as the die 805′. This arrangement optimizes thedevice for use with a magnetic sensor where a magnet is placed of theback side of the device and the leads are angled at ninety degrees (seeFIG. 6) to optimize the size of the sensor.

FIGS. 11A-B show an exemplary sensor package 950 having an integratedcapacitor with a body diameter that is reduced as compared with aconventional sensor without an integrated capacitor shown in FIGS.12A-C. The leads 952 are angled ninety degrees from the leadframe withinthe package body 954. In one embodiment, the external leads 952 are onthe opposite side of the die as the integrated capacitor, as shown inFIG. 9D. With the inventive integrated capacitor, the sensor provides arobust, noise-filtered solution in a reduced size. For example, thesensor package 950 of FIGS. 11A, B can have a diameter of about 7.6 mm,while a comparable prior art sensor shown in FIGS. 12A-C has a diameterof about 9.8 mm.

To fabricate the package 950 of FIGS. 11A-B, the leads are formed/bentby ninety degrees. The part is inserted in a premolded housing to alignthe package body and the leads. For a Hall sensor, for example, a magnetand concentrator (not shown) may be added. The assembly is thenovermolded.

The exemplary invention embodiments are useful for System-in-Package(SiP) technology in a variety of applications, such as automotiveapplications. The inventive packaging contributes to optimizing the lifecycle of passive components, improving noise reduction capability, andcreating more space on circuit boards. In addition, the inventionoptimizes the positioning of components to reduce space requirements andenhance device sensing ability.

In another embodiment, a sensor includes on a leadframe a first diehaving a sensor element and a second die having circuitry and at leastone integrated capacitor. While exemplary embodiments contained hereindiscuss the use of a Hall effect sensor, it would be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art that other types of magnetic field sensors mayalso be used in place of or in combination with a Hall element. Forexample the device could use an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR)sensor and/or a Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor. In the case of GMRsensors, the GMR element is intended to cover the range of sensorscomprised of multiple material stacks, for example: linear spin valves,a tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), or a colossal magnetoresistance(CMR) sensor. In other embodiments, the sensor includes a back biasmagnet. The dies can be formed independently from Silicon, GaAs, InGaAs,InGaAsP, SiGe or other suitable material.

Other embodiments of the present invention include pressure sensors, andother contactless sensor packages in general in which it is desirable tohave integrated components, such as capacitors.

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantagesof the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shownand described, except as indicated by the appended claims. Allpublications and references cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

1. A sensor, comprising: a die; a leadframe having opposed first andsecond surfaces, the leadframe supporting the die on the first surface;lead fingers to provide electrical connections to the leadframe and tothe die; and a component coupled to the second surface of the leadframesuch that the die and the component are on opposite sides of theleadframe and coupled to a first one of the lead fingers such that thecomponent is an integrated part of the IC package to minimize a distancebetween the sensor package and an object of interest, wherein at leastsome of the lead fingers are angled with respect to the leadframe. 2.The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lead fingers are angledabout ninety degrees with respect to the leadframe.
 3. The sensoraccording to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes external leads on anopposite side of the die as the component coupled to the leadframe,wherein the external leads extend from only one side of the sensor. 4.The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the leadframe has a cutoutregion in which the component is positioned.
 5. The sensor according toclaim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the component is below the secondsurface of the leadframe.
 6. The sensor according to claim 5, whereinthe component is generally centered about a longitudinal axis of theleadframe such that substantially equal portions of the component areabove the first surface and below the second surface.
 7. The sensoraccording to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic sensor. 8.The sensor according to claim 7, further including a back bias magnet.9. The sensor according to claim 7, wherein the component includes acapacitor.
 10. The sensor according to claim 9, wherein the leadframeincludes at least one slot to reduce eddy currents.
 11. The sensoraccording to claim 9, wherein the magnetic sensor includes one or moreof a Hall element, an AMR element, and/or a GMR element.
 12. A sensor,comprising: a die; a leadframe having opposed first and second surfaces,the leadframe supporting the die on the first surface; lead fingers toprovide electrical connections to the leadframe and to the die; and acomponent coupled to the second surface of the leadframe such that thedie and the component are on opposite sides of the leadframe and coupledto a first one of the lead fingers such that the component is anintegrated part of the IC package to minimize a distance between thesensor package and an object of interest.
 13. The sensor according toclaim 12, wherein the sensor includes external leads on an opposite sideof the die as the component coupled to the leadframe, wherein theexternal leads extend from only one side of the sensor.
 14. The sensoraccording to claim 12, wherein the leadframe has a cutout region inwhich the component is positioned.
 15. The sensor according to claim 12,wherein a bottom surface of the component is below the second surface ofthe leadframe.
 16. The sensor according to claim 15, wherein thecomponent is generally centered about a longitudinal axis of theleadframe such that substantially equal portions of the component areabove the first surface and below the second surface.
 17. The sensoraccording to claim 12, further including a back bias magnet.
 18. Thesensor according to claim 12, wherein the leadframe includes at leastone slot to reduce eddy currents.